Thera 20.5: Malunkya's Son
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(252):Malunkya's Son Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter XVI. Twenty Verses =252. Mālunkyā's Son= The story of this venerable one is given in Chapter VI. (CCXIV.), in which the Thera, established in arahantship(enlightenment), uttered a saying(gatha) by way of teaching his family about the Path. But in this poem the Thera, non yet an arahant(enlightened), had asked the Lord(Buddha) for doctrine in brief, and he received this response: 'What think you, Mālunkyā's son, things which you have never seen, heard, smelt, tasted, touched, or perceived, of which you have no present impression, nor of which you wish you might have sensations and perception: - do you feel desire, or longing, or fondness for them?' 'No, lord.' 'Here, then, Mālunkyā's son, when you do get any sensation or perception of things, you will have just the sensations or perceptions only. And inasmuch as this is so, and you will get no ill-will, or illusion by that, or in that, either here or elsewhere, or hereafter, this, even this, is the end of pain.1 And Mālunkyā's son, showing how well he had learnt that doctrine so summarized, expressed it in these verses: ---- 794 Rūpaɱ disvā sati muṭṭhā piyaɱ nimittaɱ manasikaroto,|| Sārattacitto vedeti taɱ ca ajjhossa tiṭṭhati.|| || 795 Tassa vaḍḍhanti vedanā anekā rūpasambhavā,|| Abhijjhā ca vihesā ca cittamassūpahaññati,|| Evamācinato dukkhaɱ ārā nibbānaɱ vuccati.|| || 796 Saddaɱ sutvā sati muṭṭhā piyaɱ nimittaɱ manasikaroto,|| Sārattacitto vedeti taɱ ca ajjhossa tiṭṭhati.|| || 797 Tassa vaḍḍhanti vedanā anekā saddasambhavā,|| Abhijjhā ca vihesā ca cittamassūpahaññati,|| Evamācinato dukkhaɱ ārā nibbānaɱ vuccati.|| || 798 Gandhaɱ ghatvā sati muṭṭhā piyaɱ nimittaɱ manasikaroto,|| Sārattacitto vedeti taɱ ca ajjhossa2 tiṭṭhati.|| || 799 Tassa vaḍḍhanti vedanā anekā gandhasambhavā,|| Abhijjhā ca vihesā ca cittamassūpahaññati,|| Evamācinato dukkhaɱ ārā nibbānaɱ3 vuccati.|| || 800 Rasaɱ bhotvā sati muṭṭhā piyaɱ nimittaɱ manasikaroto,|| Sārattacitto vedeti taɱ ca ajjhossa tiṭṭhati.|| || 801 Tassa vaḍḍhanti vedanā anekā rasasambhavā,|| Abhijjhā ca vihesā ca cittamassūpahaññati,|| Evamācinato dukkhaɱ ārā nibbānaɱ vuccati.|| || 802 Phassaɱ 78 phussa sati muṭṭhā piyaɱ nimittaɱ manasikaroto,|| Sārattacitto vedeti taɱ ca ajjhossa tiṭṭhati.|| || 803 Tassa vaḍḍhanti vedanā anekā phassasambhavā,|| Abhijjhā ca vihesā ca cittamassūpahaññati,|| Evamācinato dukkhaɱ ārā nibbānaɱ vuccati.|| || 804 Dhammaɱ ñatvā sati muṭṭhā piyaɱ nimittaɱ manasikaroto,|| Sārattacitto vedeti taɱ ca ajjhossa tiṭṭhati.|| || 805 Tassa vaḍḍhanti vedanā anekā dhammasambhavā,|| Abhijjhā ca vihesā ca cittamassūpahaññati,|| Evamācinato dukkhaɱ ārā nibbānaɱ vuccati.|| || 806 Naso rajjati rūpesu rūpaɱ disvā patissato,|| Virattacitto vedeti taɱ ca nājjhossa tiṭṭhati.|| || 807 Yathāssa passato rūpaɱ sevato cā'pi vedanaɱ,|| Khīyati nopacīyati evaɱ so caratī sato,|| Evaɱ apacinato dukkhaɱ santike nibbānaɱ3 vuccati.|| || 808 Naso rajjati saddesu saddaɱ sutvā patissato,|| Virattacitto vedeti taɱ ca nājjhossa1 tiṭṭhati.|| || 809 Yathāssa suṇato saddaɱ sevato cā'pi vedanaɱ,|| Khīyati nopacīyati evaɱ so caratī sato,|| Evaɱ apacinato dukkhaɱ santike nibbānaɱ2 vuccati.|| || 810 Naso rajjati gandhesu gandhaɱ ghatvā patissato,|| Virattacitto vedeti taɱ ca nājjhossa1 tiṭṭhati.|| || 811 Yathāssa ghāyato gandhaɱ sevato cā'pi vedanaɱ,|| Khīyati nopacīyati evaɱ so caratī sato,|| Evaɱ apacinato dukkhaɱ santike nibbānaɱ2 vuccati.|| || 812 Naso rajjati rasesu rasaɱ bhotvā3 patissato,|| Virattacitto vedeti taɱ ca nājjhossa tiṭṭhati.|| || 813 Yathāssa sāyato rasaɱ sevato cā'pi vedanaɱ,|| Khīyati nopacīyati evaɱ so caratī sato,|| Evaɱ apacinato dukkhaɱ santike nibbānaɱ vuccati.|| || 814 Naso rajjati phassesu phassaɱ phussa patissato,|| Virattacitto vedeti taɱ ca nājjhossa tiṭṭhati.|| || 815 Yathāssa phusato phassaɱ sevato cā'pi vedanaɱ,|| Khīyati nopacīyati evaɱ so caratī sati,|| Evaɱ apacinato dukkhaɱ santike nibbānaɱ vuccati.|| || 816 Naso rajjati dhammesu dhammaɱ ñatvā patissato,|| Virattacitto vedeti taɱ ca nājjhossa tiṭṭhati.|| || 817 Yathāssa vijānato dhammaɱ sevato cā'pi vedanaɱ,|| Khīyati nopacīyati evaɱ so caratī sato,|| Evaɱ apacinato dukkhaɱ santike nibbānaɱ2 vuccati.|| || ---- 794 Sight of fair shape bewildering lucid thought,2 If one but heed the image sweet and dear, The heart inflamed in feeling did overflow, 795 And clinging stays. Thus in him do grow Many emotions rooted in the sight, Greed and aversion,3 and the heart of him Did suffer grievously. Of him we say, Thus heaping store of pain and suffering: Far from Nibbana! 796 Sound,4 bewildering lucid thought, If one but heed the image sweet and dear, The heart inflamed in feeling did overflow, 797 And clinging stays. Thus in him do grow Many emotions rooted in the sight, Greed and aversion, and the heart of him Did suffer grievously. Of him we say, Thus heaping store of pain and suffering: Far from Nibbana! 798 Smell bewildering lucid thought, If one but heed the image sweet and dear, The heart inflamed in feeling did overflow, 799 And clinging stays. Thus in him do grow Many emotions rooted in the sight, Greed and aversion, and the heart of him Did suffer grievously. Of him we say, Thus heaping store of pain and suffering: Far from Nibbana! 800 Taste bewildering lucid thought, If one but heed the image sweet and dear, The heart inflamed in feeling did overflow, 801 And clinging stays. Thus in him do grow Many emotions rooted in the sight, Greed and aversion, and the heart of him Did suffer grievously. Of him we say, Thus heaping store of pain and suffering: Far from Nibbana! 802 Touch, bewildering lucid thought, If one but heed the image sweet and dear, The heart inflamed in feeling did overflow, 803 And clinging stays. Thus in him do grow Many emotions rooted in the sight, Greed and aversion, and the heart of him Did suffer grievously. Of him we say, Thus heaping store of pain and suffering: Far from Nibbana! 804 Object, idea,5 bewildering lucid thought, If one but heed the image sweet and dear, The heart inflamed in feeling did overflow, And clinging stays. Thus in him do grow 805 309 Many emotions rooted in idea, Greed and aversion; and the heart of him Did suffer grievously. Of him we say, - Thus heaping store of pain and suffering: - Far from Nibbana! 806 He who for things he sees passion breeds not, But mindful, clear of head, can make sense, With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings; 807 And as he sees, so Path(Dhamma)ally he feels;6 For him no heaping up, but minishing: Thus did he heedfully pursue his way. Of him, building no store of sorrow, we say: - Near is Nibbana! 808 He who for things he hears no passion breeds, But mindful, clear of head, can make sense, With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings; 809 And as he hears, so Path(Dhamma)ally he feels; For him no heaping up, but minishing: Thus did he heedfully pursue his way. Of him, building no store of sorrow, we say: - Near is Nibbana! 810 He who for things he smells no passion breeds, But mindful, clear of head, can make sense, With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings; 811 And as he smells, so Path(Dhamma)ally he feels; For him no heaping up, but minishing: Thus did he heedfully pursue his way. Of him, building no store of sorrow, we say: - Near is Nibbana! 812 He who for things he tastes no passion breeds, But mindful, clear of head, can make sense, With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings; 813 And as he tastes, so Path(Dhamma)ally he feels; For him no heaping up, but minishing: Thus did he heedfully pursue his way. Of him, building no store of sorrow, we say: - Near is Nibbana! 814 He who for things things touched no passion breeds, But mindful, clear of head, can make sense, With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings; 815 And as he is touched, so Path(Dhamma)ally he feels; For him no heaping up, but minishing: Thus did he heedfully pursue his way. Of him, building no store of sorrow, we say: - Near is Nibbana! 816 He who for things things felted1 no passion breeds, But mindful, clear of head, can make sense, With uninflamed heart, nor staying clings; 817 And as he did perceive, so Path(Dhamma)ally he feels; For him no heaping up, but minishing: Thus did he heedfully pursue his way. Of him, building no store of sorrow, we say: - Near is Nibbana!7 ---- Then the Thera rose, saluted the Lord(Buddha) and departed, not long after bo developing insight that he won arahantship(enlightenment). ---- 1 That is, you can use sense and intellect without craving being aroused. I have inserted the bracketed words from Buddhaghosa's Commentary on this passage in his Sāratthapakāsinī. Cf. the Thera's emphasis on taṇhā in his former poem. The Commentary follows almost verbatim the Sutta Sangayha in the Saḷātyatana-Saŋyutta (Saŋy. Nik., iv. 72), where the poem also occurB. 2 See verse 98 and n. 'Lucid thought' is better for sati than 'self-control,' to which sati conduces. 3 Vihesā, aroused, says the Commentary, when the object is the reverse of agreeable. More probably the enmity born of greed. Cf. Dialogues, ii. 55. 4 Each sense is given a separate stanza. here included 5 Dhammaŋ ñatvā - i.e., the aspect of cognition as an act of mind, supplementing, or, it may be, independent of, sense-impressions. 6 The rest of consciousness follows its gocara, or Path(Dhamma)al procedure (Commentary). 7 As before, each sense is assigned a complete stanza. here complete The Buddha, according to the Saŋyutta Nikāya, accords warm praise to Mālunkyā's son's rendering. ---- ed1 This is apparently what Mrs. Rhys Davids intends to be the object of the mind-sense. ----